He told Sport Plus (via Calciomercato): “I never said I wanted to leave Lazio, I feel good here.

“I never mentioned a possible transfer to Manchester United and it was just paper talk. New commitments await me with Lazio.”

Milinkovic-Savic is tied down to a long-term contract in the Italian capital, with his present deal running until 2023 – a further deterrent for interested suitors such as Juventus, Inter Milan and Paris Saint Germain.